Our True Colors

Join Carmen and me as we talk about our experiences, what we've learned, and the takeaways from Season 3.

Our guest this week is Stefanie Kurgatt. Stefanie was born in Eldoret, Kenya but moved to the states at a young age and most of her childhood was spent in Tallahassee, Fl. She attended Georgetown University, where she earned her B.S. in Healthcare Management/Policy and M.S. in Health Systems Administration. She holds a great interest in health disparities, community health, and social determinants of health and strives to increase access to care for the underserved. In her spare time,...

Dr. Charletta Wilson is an industrial & organizational psychologist, an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Certified Professional Coach, Global Team Coach, TEDx Speaker and Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator at CaPeesh Consulting LLC. For over two decades, she’s served thousands of clients in business startups, leadership and organizational development. In our interview, Dr. Wilson shares stories of how she was introduced to colorism and how it parlayed with stories of not being good...

Haley and Megan are sisters who grew up in rural Louisiana. Haley is now a school psychologist working in South Louisiana. Megan lives in New Orleans and works in the film industry. These sisters love history and started making a list of historical figures who were mixed race a few year ago. Two years ago they decided to turn their list into a blog. Since then they’ve been adding more people to the list and sharing blog or Instagram posts about them. Some of the people on the list are well...

In light of the continued violence against Asian communities around the US and, indeed, around the world; and in an effort to bring renewed awareness, I am bringing back an episode from earlier this year. Daniel Quan-Watson has lived an unusual mix of being at the very center of powerful institutions and structures and being on the outside of so many other aspects of daily life in Canada and North America. He holds the highest rank possible in Canada's Public Service, the equivalent of an...

My guest this week is Nikki Innocent. Nikki is a 2-time TEDx speaker, certified women’s leadership coach, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) strategist and the host of the podcast Checkbox Other, that focuses on the journey toward belonging. Five years ago, Nikki left behind her career in corporate America to live and lead fully as herself focusing on belonging, releasing the pressure to “fit in” and embracing the ways she differed as a creative, biracial, Millennial woman. Nikki’s work...

My guest this week is Dr. Shantel Gabrieal Buggs. Dr. Buggs is an assistant professor of sociology and African American studies at Florida State University, specializing in research on multiracial identity, representation, and romantic, sexual, and family relationships. She is currently working on an edited collection of essays on "queering" consent for LGBTQ people in the #MeToo era and her first monograph on the online dating experiences of multiracial women in Central Texas. She's also...

Maris Lidaka is a filmmaker in Los Angeles and the creator of the Blended Future Project. Maris talks with me about his experience growing up mixed both in a mostly white suburb but also abroad in high school. This experience allowed him to gain some perspective on race and who he is. If this is your first time with OTC, check out Season 1 Episode 1: START HERE for more background on the show. Visit www.truecolorscast.com for more show info and join the community on Instagram to continue...

Natalie Forest, Ph.D. an intuitive transformational Mentor with a background in history and teaching. She is a teacher inside and out in all she does. She helps people going through a "midlife crisis" reconnect with their own unique self through addressing "the Hidden Power of Patterns" so that they can finally live their lives, their way. Natalie is from Germany, studies U.S. and "USSR" history to become an experts in issues relating to equality in the U.S. through her studies of history,...

Sarah Lotus Garrett is a life coach working with mixed adults and monoracial parents of mixed children. She was born and raised in northern California and has lived in Northern Italy for the past 15 years. She is a woman, daughter, sister, mother, wife, auntie, friend, world citizen, chef, gardener, creator of beautiful things, a napper, and a joy seeker. You can check out her work on her Mixed Bloom Room site, where can also learn about her courses. Don't forget to follow her on Instagram,...

How was the topic of race handled in your household? Something you've always discussed or an area that typically went untouched? Meredith and Cindy Palomo are a super cool lesbian couple living in the Kansas City area. They recently paused a three-year endeavor as foster parents. They're lucky to have three amazing daughters, aged 20, 17, and 3. They have a passion for sharing what they know about trauma-informed care, and have a deep belief that every child deserves to grow up with a...

Daniel Quan-Watson has lived an unusual mix of being at the very center of powerful institutions and structures and being on the outside of so many other aspects of daily life in Canada and North America. He holds the highest rank possible in Canada's Public Service, the equivalent of an Under-Secretary in the US. He speaks English and French with the same ease, has lived in 13 places across Canada, visited every part of the country, has written legislation that will be in place for...

I had the pleasure to welcome the reigning Mrs. Tennessee for 2020 - 2021, Mrs. LaFaye Noel. Not only is LaFaye active in her community and beyond, she speaks of intersectionality, self-esteem, and skills to bring confidence to just about any situation with the wisdom of a mother of four, educator, and a shining example of diversity, equity, and inclusion advocating for minorities through her platform “Unicorns: We Belong!”. LaFaye Noel began competing as a teen and now steps into a new...

Katie Andresen is the host & producer of Mixed Kid Chronicles, a podcast for the mixed up and mixed race. This week my guest is Podcaster Katie Andresen, the creator and host of Mixed Kid Chronicles. She shares her identity story and what it’s been like as a podcaster talking with others. In this Episode we talk about “otherness” overseas and general experiences of being racially ambiguous. Carmen weighs in, too - don’t miss it! If this is your first time with OTC, check out Season 1...

My guest this week is life coach and counselor, Brittany George. Brittany was born and raised in Vancouver, Canada and is the founder of Mixed Mental Health. She focuses on identity alignment and building confidence and community. Mixed men and women can find relatable content on her site about what it is liked to be mixed and how your mental health is affected by what we experience. In this episode, Brittany talks a little bit about her program for women, but also shares a bit of her...

Rara Imler is a native CHamoru born and raised on Guam. She is a comedian, writer, actor, and adult entertainer based out of Atlanta, Georgia. She has joined me on the show to discuss what it means to be a mixed-race Islander and the difficulties experienced when trying to assimilate and be fully accepted into one's respective culture(s). In this interview, she describes this phenomenon as not being unique when experiencing life on the island, but that it can impact Americans in the...

Hang with me and my cohosts from Seasons 1 through 3 in this special episode as we discuss our reaction to the US Presidential Election. Shannon Edwards (Season 1), Jason Mitchum (Season 2), and Carmen Watson (Season 3) join me to talk about our perspectives, our hopes, and our disappointments. Carmen, who is Canadian, gives us her viewpoints as a neighbor from the north. Stick around to the very end to hear the song that is giving me life these days - LOVE IT! Check out Only You by Kidd...

The time has arrived. Election Day in America is here. With me to discuss the significance of this election, the very fulcrum of the future direction of America, is my guest, April Powers. April is the Managing Director of First Impression Rx, a full service consulting firm that helps fortune 500, nonprofits, and government agencies manage differences through training and diversity and inclusion strategy. She is also the Chief Equity & Inclusion Officer for the Society of Children’s Book...

This week I am joined by the cast of Blasian Narratives Vol. I. Some have gone on to take on a diverse range of endeavors but this project continues to connect them. It has been five years since Volume 1, and now the group is back together to discuss their perspectives on being Black and Asian. Visit blasianproject.org/ for more about the Blasian Project and follow them on Instagram. If this is your first time with OTC, check out Season 1 Episode 1: START HERE for more background on the...